WPW 132
by McGy
Summary: Summer adopts an orphaned young Cinder into her family before Salem could find her, showering Cinder with love and kindness.


Summer felt her daughter-to-be kick and straigtened with surprise. She placed her hand over her bulging belly and felt another kick. She smiled and looked at Yang playing with her action figures on the waiting room floor. "Yang I think your sister wants to say hello," she said.

Yang popped up, dropping her kung-fu men. "Really!" she said, scurrying to Summer's lap and resting her ear against her stomach. She felt the kick on her ear. "I don't hear anything, Mommy."

Summer released a half-hearted chuckle. It sounded wrong for Yang to call her mother when she belonged to Raven. "Of course not, silly. Your sister hasn't learned to talk yet."

"Then how do you know she wants to say hello?"

Summer paused. Children seemed to know how to ask the questions that caused adults to pause. "A mother just knows these things about her children," she said nervously.

Yang gave her a dejected nod and curled in her lap. Summer ran her fingers through her gold locks. "Yang, you know you don't have to call me Mommy, right? You can call me Summer, if you want."

Yang looked up. "But I want to call you mommy."

Summer half-smiled and wished Raven was still around.

"Mommy, why am I getting another new sister when I'm already getting a new sister?" Yang asked.

"Well, Yang, Daddy and me are doing a favor for an old friend," Summer said. "That means taking care of their daughter just like Raven wanted us to take care of you."

"Was her mommy mean too?"

That question hurt Summer. If only she could tell Yang the actual truth. She settled for a variety of it instead. "No dear, but she had to stop taking care of her. So now we have to."

Tai entered the waiting room with a little girl. Summer and Yang sprang to their feet. "Everything's taken care of," said Tai. "We can go home. Cinder, this is your new sister, Yang; and this is your new mother, Summer. We're very happy to have you join our family."

Cinder was a few years older than Yang, Summer noticed. She had perfect charcoal-colored hair that fell to her waist. Her skin was as pale as ash and her eyes glowed like embers. The expression on her face was a combination of anger, caution, and fear.

"Nice to meet you, new sis!" Yang yelled, thrusting a friendly hand.

Cinder's eyes glared with an energy and her face scrunched into a snarl. Summer could feel the heat from where she stood and reeled Yang to her side. Tai did the same to Cinder and he winced.

Yang was scared and tearing. She looked at Summer. "I'm sorry! Mommy I—!"

"It's OK, dear," said Summer. Tai rushed Cinder out the door. Their new daughter trusted her father the most. "It's just that Cinder will need some getting used to. We have to welcome her slowly. Now come along; let's go celebrate with our new arrival!"

They decided Summer should drive with Yang in the passenger seat. Tai and Cinder rode in the back. Before they left, Summer pulled Tai to the side and examined his hands. His aura had yet to heal the burns there. They looked at each other and realized raising Cinder would be more difficult than they imagined.

Cinder was tight-lipped, even when Tai asked her where she wanted to celebrate their first family meal. They settled on Yang's favorite place: Pick A Pepper Pizza. They ordered two extra-large pizzas and unlimited tokens. Yang was ecstatic, jumping from playpen to arcade with a slice in each hand. Cinder was more than comfortable nibbling on her salad and an occaisonal slice. Tai and Summer noticed she was eyeing the giant stuffed jack-o-lantern hanging by the prize window so they decided to put their huntsman training to the test at the skeball tables. It turned out Tai was an expert skeballer.

The night was a huge success and everyone enjoyed it, and Cinder walked to the car hiding a soft smile behind her giant stuffed jack-o-lantern. Yang even managed to win herself a toy lazer gun that she shot off all the way home.

Once home they showed Cinder to her room. She would have to share it once Ruby was born but they hoped she would warm up by then.

They helpped her unpack and wished her a good night.

Summer was awoken by ang shaking her. She was crying. "Mom! Cinder! She—! I just wanted to show her my toys!"

Tai leaped out of bed. Summer held Yang. "It's OK, dear. It's OK," she said. "Here, help Mommy get out of bed." If anything she was glad Yang wasn't burned. They shuffled to Cinder's room. They could hear her frantic crying from down the hall.

"I'm sorry!" Cinder yelled. "Please! Stop! I want to die! I want to die! I want to die!"

They reached the doorway and saw Tai rocking his new daughter back and forward, shushing the demons away. Yang and Summer stood still for awhile before joining them in their first familial embrace. The four sat like that for awhile and Cinder's panic subsided.

"I'm sorry," Yang muttered. "I just wanted to show you my cool lazer."

Cinder smiled. "It's OK," she said and nothing more.

"Well, I'm wide awake now," said Summer. "How about cookies?"

The girls and Tai cheered for their love of cookies and the family hurried to the kitchen.


End file.
